The Brothers Pendragon: One Shots
by tea-and-fiction
Summary: This is a series of various one-shots for my previous story, The Brothers Pendragon. (Will be updated whenever an idea comes to mind.)
1. Dragons

Author's note: So... I didn't think I would be doing any one-shots for this story, but I had a few suggestions and ideas that just wouldn't go away, so here I am! I plan on doing a couple of short little one-shots, but I'm not sure how many it will end up being, so I'm marking this story complete, even though I still plan on updating from time to time. (Also, if you have any ideas you think you'd like to see here, let me know! I'm always happy to consider them.)

(P.S. This is a continuation of my previous story, The Brother's Pendragon. You could read this without reading the other, but it would definitely make more sense to go back and read that one first. Also, this will contain spoilers for my other story. You've been warned!)

...

It had been three weeks since Arthur Pendragon's coronation. Three busy, but blissfully peaceful, weeks. Yes, he had been a bit overwhelmed by officially taking on the title of king, but seeing as he had already been king in all but name before his father's passing, it wasn't too much of a shock. Besides, he had a very capable group of friends and family to support him.

He'd known, of course, that this peace would be too good to last. It always was. He just hadn't expected it to end so soon.

"Please, Arthur?" His brother Merlin, the one who was interrupting his peace, was currently attempting to harass him into accepting one of his ridiculous ideas over dinner. And, to his horror, he was making the most ridiculous cow eyes Arthur had ever seen, and was practically fluttering his eyelashes like a girl. It was positively horrific.

"No, Merlin." Arthur replied firmly with an exasperated sigh, taking a sip of his wine to calm himself.

"But wouldn't it be best to do it early and-"

"No, absolutely not." Arthur interrupted before he was able to start into another one of his long-winded speeches. "The kingdom is already having to adjust to the repeal of the ban on magic. They do not need another surprise thrown their way so soon."

"But it's not like they'll even know!" Merlin whined, leaning forward and staring at him intently. "I'll keep them away from Camelot, and we don't have to tell anyone about them until we're ready, and-"

"Merlin. I'm most certain that you won't be able to hide a noticeable influx in the previously extinct dragon population."

"Watch me!" Merlin huffed in annoyance, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'm the most powerful warlock to ever live! I'm Emrys _and_ a dragonlord! I can do anything I please!" He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms petulantly across his chest.

"Think about the dragons," Arthur added calmly. "What if they fly too close to a village, and someone hurts them? What would you do then?"

"But they won't be near a village! I'll leave them with the druids. They'll be happy to take them, I know they will! And besides, it's not like there are hundreds of dragon eggs out there that I'm going to hatch all at once. Kilgarrah said there is most likely only a handful left, supposing we can find any more at all.

"Yes, and we all know how forthcoming and truthful that beast is," Arthur added in a mumble, causing Merlin to send him a half-hearted glare.

"Please? I've been waiting patiently for a long time for you to become king. And now you are king, and things are looking up, and I want to help Kilgharrah. He's old and lonely. Wouldn't you want a friend if you were the last of your kind? Wouldn't you be lonely too, and want someone to look out for you?"

"Are you trying to guilt me into feeling bad for the dragon?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"Maybe. Is it working?" Merlin said with a smirk.

"Absolutely not. It's a no, and that's final."

...

Of course, Merlin was never able to take no for an answer. Arthur knew that to be true. But, somehow, he still managed to be surprised when Merlin disappeared a few days later, only to return the next day coated in dirt and beaming ear to ear, holding a dragon egg closely to his chest.

He had dragged Arthur out to see that wretched Kilgharrah and hatched the egg, giving the little white dragon the name Aithusa. The dragon said something about it being a good omen, and Merlin, of course, had cried like a girl. He'd insinuated that Arthur's eyes were misty too, but that was completely false. It was simply the sun, reflecting in his eye.

Then, like the idiot he was, Merlin had smuggled the baby dragon into the castle, just to make sure she was safe until she was grown enough to join Kilgharrah in the wild. Thankfully, he wasn't actually as abysmal at being a dragonlord as he was being a manservant, and Aithusa was fairly well behaved.

Still, it was a horrible idea, and Arthur hadn't forgiven him.

Although, snuggled up with the baby dragon curled around his shoulders and purring contentedly, he supposed it wasn't all that bad, even if Merlin wouldn't stop laughing every time he looked at the two of them.


	2. Heritage

Author's note: Another quick little one-shot for you all! Hope you enjoy

...

"How long has it been since anyone's been in this room?" Gwaine grumbled, pulling cobwebs out of his hair dramatically.

"Most likely not since the queen died," Gwen answered absentmindedly as she moved around opening windows to let fresh air and sunlight into the room. "Which is why we need to clean it out."

"I still don't know why I have to help." Gwaine pouted, poking at a nearby sealed crate with his boot.

"I believe it has something to do with your stunt in the tavern last week."

"Ha! Yeah." Gwaine replied with a snort and a self-satisfied smirk. "Princess is still mad at me for that one."

"And for good reason!" Merlin exclaimed as he entered the room, before letting out a massive sneeze. "Ugh, it _is_ dusty in here." He snapped his fingers, and the dust suddenly disappeared from around him, leaving a perfectly clean circle where he stood.

"Show off." Gwaine laughed, pushing playfully at Merlin's arm.

Gwen smiled at their antics, and situated herself on the floor, opening the nearest crate and pulling out its contents.

"Seems to be only old clothing in here. I wonder if Morgana wants any of these dresses? Could you both start on those crates in the corner?"

"Sure thing, Gwen." Merlin replied, dragging a complaining Gwaine with him to sit in the corner and begin sorting.

...

"How goes the battle?" Arthur asked as he entered the room hours later and sat himself down on one of the emptied crates.

"Your father was absolutely horrible at cleaning!" Gwaine whined, blowing a stray strand of hair off his face. "I'm completely coated in dust, and I've never seen so many gowns in my life. Did he keep every gown your mother ever owned?"

"Most likely. I can't imagine him sorting through her things. He could barely speak of her, let alone relieve memories of her by going through her possessions. I think he hid them away here, so he didn't have to think about her. I didn't even know they were here until recently." As he spoke, Arthur grabbed the nearest gown off of the stack and held it up to look at. "She was so small." He mused aloud to himself. "I must be at least twice the size of her. And now I'm even older than she was when she died." He shook his head wryly.

"Oh, while you're here, you and Merlin should take a look at those books over there." Gwen added, gently breaking his revery. "I think some of them are records from your mother's family."

"Records? Of what, I wonder." Arthur stood, and approached the bookcase with Merlin right behind him.

Merlin reached out and grabbed a book off the shelf, opening the book and letting out another sneeze at the cloud of dust that flew into his face. Arthur snickered and grabbed the book from his hands, flipping idly through the pages.

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"I think its a list of her family members," Arthur answered. "I don't recognize any of their names though."

"Wait, go back, I think I recognized one." Merlin said.

"There!" He pointed a finger at the middle of the page. "Wasn't that woman a sorceress? I remember Morgana talking about her the other day, after she returned from visiting with the druids."

"Was she? I wonder if that's where you get your magic from then, our mother?"

"Hmm. Maybe. Although its probably from her father. After all, he was the dragonlord who married into the family." Merlin grabbed another book from the shelf and opened it.

"Hold on. This one is a book of magical rituals and holidays!" He said excitedly, flipping through the pages. "But I've never seen any of these before. I wonder if they're just really old?"

He quickly flipped through a few more pages, before stopping suddenly and smiling widely.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, two things." Merlin beamed at him. "First, our mother wrote this."

"She did?" Arthur took the book from Merlin's hands, and sure enough, there was their mother's signature on the bottom of the page and a note from her on whatever magical holiday was on the page.

"Second, look at that sentence right there. This book is about Camelot's magical heritage. These are magical things specific to Camelot. Special holidays, notable people, spells that were made here. It's Camelot magical history!"

"I'm surprised it wasn't destroyed." Gwen said, moving to lean over them and examine the book for herself. "I recognize that name though. I think it was on a tapestry in the corner there."

Merlin whispered a few words, and floated the tapestry towards him, unfurling it to look over it.

"Amazing! This is a list of notable magical people in Camelot and their accomplishments."

"Think you could do any of the specialty spells these people wrote in this book, Merlin?" Gwaine added from where he stood, having picked up the book to look inside himself.

"Hey! I'm Emrys. I can do anything!"

"Oh! There's one more thing you should look at while you're here." Gwen exclaimed, rising to her feet and moving to pick up a stack of something in the corner of the room.

"Here, let me help." Arthur said, rising to take them from her hands.

"Thank you, Arthur dear. These are all portraits. I would assume of your family members, but I wouldn't know. You should go through them."

"Did she just call him 'dear'?" Gwaine stage whispered to Merlin, who smacked him over the head.

"Are you actually surprised?" He scoffed.

"No, not really. Bets on them getting married by the end of the year."

"Do you know who you're talking to? I predicted the proposal down to the hour. I'll totally win this bet. They'll be married in three months."

"You're on!"

"Ahem." Arthur interrupted, setting the portraits down on the floor. Both he and Gwen were blushing furiously.

Merlin simply smirked and reached for the first portrait. "Who do you suppose this is?"

"Our great grandfather." Arther answered. "I remember seeing a portrait of him once."

"And who is this lovely lady?" Gwaine asked, holding up the next portrait.

Merlin and Arthur gasped.

"Is that-?" Merlin asked.

"Yes. It's her. It's Ygraine." Arthur answered in a choked voice, reaching out gingerly for the portrait.

"She really was lovely." Gwen said softly, placing a hand on Arthur's arm.

"Yes. She was." Arthur managed to say.

...

That next day, the portrait of Ygraine had been given a place of honor in the throne room, next to the tapestry of Camelot's magical heritage. Along the walls, in various corridors and rooms, hung the portraits of important magical figures in Camelot's history. And in the library, books on magic's history sat proudly on display, ready to usher back in an age of magical learning in Camelot. Merlin couldn't wait to show Morgana. Just as soon as she returned from her most recent trip to the druids.


	3. Mordred

Author's Note: Happy endings for everyone ;) If you couldn't tell already, happy stories are my favorite. Besides, canon Merlin could have easily avoided Mordred's betrayal by simply being nice to him. I mean, c'mon, Mordred seriously hero worshiped him. He would have done anything he said if he'd even attempted to get along with him.

That being said, hope you enjoy!

...

Merlin was annoyed. Morgana had been visiting the druids again for a fortnight already and she planned to visit them for a fortnight more, but Merlin needed her advice on how to solve a magical problem now. He'd tried to wait patiently as Arthur suggested, but he just couldn't do it. So now he had snuck out of Camelot on a borrowed horse that, hopefully, wouldn't be missed right away, and was riding swiftly towards the druid settlement. He knew Arthur would be furious at him for skipping out on his royal duties, but Merlin couldn't care less. He felt as if he were Arthur's manservant again, sneaking out to save Camelot. It was invigorating.

Granted, there was no actual threat to Camelot at the moment, and he was actually being more irresponsible than anything. But the feeling was still the same.

The druid's current encampment was located less than half a day's ride from Camelot. They had moved much closer to the city after the ban on magic had been lifted. This meant Merlin was able to make record time in reaching the camp, and he arrived at midday to find Morgana and the Druid elders practicing spells of some sort near the edge of the camp.

"Merlin? What are you doing here?" Morgana called out to him as she noticed him riding towards her, her expression bewildered. "Does Arthur know you're here? No, wait. Don't answer that. I already know the answer." She shook her head in fond exasperation as he dismounted.

"I needed your advice on something." He answered with a shrug. "I was tired of waiting. Arthur will get over it." She raised her eyebrow, but said nothing in return, simply waiting for him to continue.

"Right, so, how did you figure out that spell, the one that transported you from one place to another?"

"Merlin," She let out a loud, longsuffering sigh, and moved to place her hands on both of his shoulders. "You are Emrys and a very talented sorcerer, and if you could focus for more than a few minutes, you'd be able to figure it out for yourself."

"Yes, but isn't it easier for you to just tell me?"

"Merlin!" She let out an exasperated sound and threw her hands up in the air. "I give up. Arthur was right. You're hopeless!"

"So does that mean you'll tell me, or-?"

"I-" Morgana began before she was interrupted by a young man running towards them.

"Milady, they could use your assistance across the camp, if you are able to-" Seemingly just noticing Merlin, he stopped in the middle of his sentence, and his eyes went wide. "Emrys!" He exclaimed, his voice full of awe. "My Lord, it's an honor to have you visit our camp!"

"Yes, that's me." Merlin replied curtly, feeling uncomfortable as always with the formality the druids showed around him. "And you are?"

"Oh, you know who this is!" Morgana replied with a smirk. "Although it's been quite a while."

"I'm Mordred, my lord." The young man replied earnestly.

Suddenly, Merlin's whole body went cold from fear. "Mordred? The druid boy we helped?" He asked Morgana, hoping against all hope that he was wrong.

"The very same one!" She replied with a smile. "Quite the coincidence that he would be living in the very druid camp I chose to visit, is it not?"

"Right, very. Listen, Mordred, it's, uh, nice to see you again. Morgana, I need to talk to you. Now. Privately." He grabbed her hand firmly and shot her a pleading look, before dragging her away.

"Merlin!" She protested, trying to tug her wrist away, but Merlin refused to let go and kept walking until Mordred had been left far behind them.

"This better be important," Morgana grumbled as he pulled her behind a nearby tree. "You can't just barge in and-" She stopped suddenly as he turned to face her. "Merlin, you're whiter than a ghost! Are you alright?"

"You can't associate with Mordred, you just can't. Please, you don't understand the danger he is to you, to Camelot. You have to-"

"Calm down, Merlin." She said calmly, placing a hand softly on his arm. "I think you have Mordred mistaken for someone else. He's a sweet young man, and quite chivalrous really. He even wants to be a knight someday! Not a threat at all."

"No, you don't get it." He said firmly, shaking his head and staring at her pleadingly. "Kilgarrah told me, there's a prophecy, and he's in it, and he'll hurt Arthur! I can't let him do it! I'll stop him any way I have to, and-"

"Merlin!" Morgana let out an angry shout, startling him into silence. After he had been quiet for a moment, she sighed softly. "You of all people should know better than to listen to all of Kilgarrah's prophecies. They're not always true. This might be one of those times. And you don't want to push away a friend in your worry over a prophecy that will never happen, do you?"

"But Kilgarrah was serious about this one. So serious that he wanted me not to help Mordred when we first met him. He thought it better that he died than to live to threaten Arthur! Don't you think that's a sign that this prophecy may be important?" He couldn't help but raise his voice in earnest, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow as he thought back to his first meeting with the druid boy.

"I don't understand. If you're so sure about Mordred's guilt, why did you save him?" Morgana asked, disappointment at his words clear in her voice.

"I couldn't blame a child for something he may or may not do in the future." Merlin admitted.

"Then why blame a young man for something he may or may not do?" She pressed.

"But what if he does? What if he does kill Arthur, and it will be my fault for letting my guard down and trusting in him!"

"I think we need to talk to the Druid elders. They've lived with Mordred, they know what he is like. They can soothe your fears about him, I'm sure."

"We can talk to them, but it won't matter." Merlin replied, even as he let Morgana tug him towards the tent of the elders. "I know what I'm talking about, Morgana. Mordred is dangerous."

"I'm sure you do." Morgana responded in a patronizing tone, causing him to scowl at the back of her head fiercely as they walked.

It didn't matter what the elders said. Merlin knew deep down, Mordred was a danger to Arthur, and to Camelot. She'd see.

...

"The prophecy?" One of the elders said with a laugh. "That old thing? Surely you can't believe in those ridiculous stories, Emyrs!"

"Now, now. Emrys hasn't grown up learning about the prophecies, so we must teach him." Another elder replied, the tone of his voice making Merlin feel as if he were being treated as a child.

"You see Emyrs," Another began, "Some prophecies are fixed. Such as the prophecy of Emrys and the Once and Future King. But others are more fluid in nature, almost like suggestions if you will. They are often warnings related to specific circumstances that may or may not happen, but are given just in case the times might be just right for their completion. Others are misdirections, that can only be brought about by the person hearing and believing them to be true. And others are stories about what might have come to pass if things were different. Although we may never know exactly what type of prophecy that particular one is, we are quite certain it is fluid. It can certainly be avoided."

"Does Mordred know of this prophecy about him?" Morgana asked curiously.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I don't believe he does," One elder answered, "Although it is certainly possible. I believe we should call him in and ask him."

"Emrys, you should rest and eat here. We will talk to Mordred about this and fetch both you and the lady when we are done."

"Are you sure it's wise to tell someone who is prophesied to kill someone that they are supposed to succeed in doing so?" Merlin managed to speak up. "Isn't that a bit like giving your murderer a weapon to murder you with?"

"You are quite a strange person, Emrys." One man responded as many of the elders began to laugh softly. "Of course it is nothing like that! It will do no harm to tell him. In fact, I daresay it will do you both good. Now, please rest here. We'll be back soon."

"I told-" Morgana began to speak, but Merlin cut her off.

"Don't." He said with a glare.

Just then, a young druid woman entered with food, and both he and Morgana fell quiet as they ate. Silence hung around them as they sat, Merlin not trusting himself to speak up and not get angry, and Morgana seemingly nervous of Merlin's volatile attitude.

They had just finished their simple meal when a few of the elders reentered the tent with a pale and serious Mordred in tow. His eyes were wide with fear, and he was nervously wringing his hands together.

"Emrys, Milady, I swear, I had no idea-" Mordred began to ramble as soon as he had entered the tent, his nerves plain to see on his face.

"Mordred, it's fine." Morgana spoke up first, shooting a warning glare Merlin's way. "I know you wouldn't hurt Arthur."

"But are you sure you should trust me?" He answered nervously. "If there is this prophecy, then maybe it is best for everyone involved if I moved far away from Camelot? Just to be safe."

"Maybe you should." Merlin whispered angrily in response.

"Merlin!" Morgana hissed.

"Nonsense." One of the elders said with a scoff. "There's no need for such drastic measures. This whole mess is easily fixed."

"It is?" Merlin said disbelievingly.

"Certainly. Young Mordred here must simply swear on his magic not to harm Arthur or Camelot. As long as all parties enter such an oath willingly and without hesitation, that would fully negate a fluid prophecy such as this."

"It's that simple?" Mordred asked.

"It can't be that easy!" Merlin exclaimed.

"It certainly is that simple, I can assure you."

Morgana shot Merlin a smug look. "There, you heard him!"

"I'd be glad to do it, Emrys!" Mordred said earnestly.

"Then do it." Merlin snapped at him, not really believing him to be truthful. "Swear on your magic that you will never hurt Arthur, or Camelot, in any way, so long as you live."

Mordred took a deep breath, and his face became deadly serious. "I do so swear, on my life and on my magic, that so long as I do live, King Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot shall suffer no threat or harm from me. So mote it be."

His words were deep and intentional, and the atmosphere around them reflected it. It was almost completely silent in the tent as he spoke, the busy sounds of the druid camp fading away as magic herself seemed to listen to his words.

When he had finished, there was a small flash of light between where Mordred and Merlin stood, and then the sound seemed to return to the tent all in a rush, and once again Merlin could hear children laughing and people yelling back and forth as if it had never left.

"And now it is as I said. The prophecy should be no longer an issue." One of the elders spoke up, breaking the solemn mood.

"I still don't know." Merlin murmured, and Mordred's face fell. "I feel like I need to ask Kilgarrah."

"Then let's ask him, not stand around here insulting Mordred!" Morgana exclaimed exasperatedly, grabbing them both by the hand and practically yanking them out of the tent and through the camp.

As they walked past the boundary of the camp, Morgana shot Merlin a look, and he nodded, before calling for Kilgarrah.

It was only a few moments before Kilgarrah landed outside the edge of camp. The noise of his arrival brought crowds of druids to the area, all staring in awe at the Great Dragon as he settled down and tucked his wings into his sides, and moved his head forward to stare intently at Merlin and Mordred.

"Well, young warlock, it would seem you have ignored my advice yet again."

"Did it work?" Merlin ignored him and went straight to the point. "Mordred swore on his magic to try and refute the prophecy you spoke of. Was it enough?"

Kilgarrah didn't answer right away, instead turning to fix his gaze solely on a very nervous, fidgeting Mordred. There was silence all around them, as everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting for his answer.

After a few moments of silence, Kilgarrah sat back up and nodded his head once.

"It would seem so." Was his answer, causing Mordred to let out a huge sigh of relief, and Morgana to smirk self righteously.

Merlin was beyond annoyed. He let out a loud scoff and threw his hands up in the air. "And you couldn't have said, 'Hey, Merlin, there's no need to kill this child, just make him take an oath instead!' I mean really! Was that so hard?" He scowled intently at the great dragon, who looked completely unrepentant.

"I felt it best to avoid negative outcomes in the best way possible-"

"Killing a child was the best way possible? What sort of monster are you!" Morgana interrupted angrily, and a few druids standing nearby gasped at her words.

"But I am willing to say my view of the situation may have been influenced by my circumstances at the time." Kilgarrah finished, fixing his intense gaze on Morgana. "I admit that I may have withheld some information in my haste to have the situation dealt with."

"Y'know, sometimes I can't stand you, you conniving overgrown lizard." Merlin pouted and crossed his arms.

Suddenly, surprising everyone, Mordred let out a small laugh.

"Sorry, nervous habit." He said as everyone looked at him curiously.

"I believe it is my time to go." The great dragon announced suddenly, and flapped his wings, taking to the sky.

"See if I ask for your advice on prophecies ever again!" Merlin yelled after him, shaking his fist at the dragon as he flew. Kilgarrah simply chuckled and flew away without glancing back.

"Well, I think that settles things then." Morgana spoke up in a sickly sweet tone. "And I think you owe Mordred an apology, don't you?" She grabbed Merlin's wrist in her tight grip and turned him to face Mordred.

"Apology?" Merlin sputtered.

"It's not necessary, Milady!" Mordred protested.

"It most certainly is. Merlin, apologize for wanting to kill Mordred instead of talking to him about your problems like a functioning member of society."

"You're one to talk." Merlin mumbled in response, getting a slap to his arm in response. "Okay, okay, fine. Sorry, Mordred."

"I- Thank you Emrys. Thank you."

The atmosphere was unbearably awkward, but Morgana seemed pleased, letting go of Merlin's wrist and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"There. That wasn't so hard was it?" Morgana said with a smile. "Now, the only thing left is to take Mordred back to Camelot to be knighted!"

"Morgana I don't think-"

"Milady, are you sure that's-"

"Nonsense, boys! We'll be going right now! No more arguing."

And with that, Morgana gave them both one of her looks that demanded respect, and dragged them towards the camp's horses, shouting her goodbyes and thank yous to the druids for their hospitality as she went.

...

Arthur had been thoroughly confused when Merlin, who was supposed to be overseeing a meeting on situations in the lower town, suddenly rode into Camelot with Morgana and some strange druid boy at his side.

However, if he'd found that confusing, then being dragged alongside Merlin and said druid boy, apparently named Mordred (and although he couldn't say why, that name sounded quite familiar) to the training grounds was even more baffling.

Morgana had shouted something at him about how Mordred was perfect material for a future knight and shoved a sword into his hands, and into the hands of a nervous Mordred, before he could speak. She then promptly pushed them out onto the training field. By the looks of Gwaine and Lancelot, who had been sparring on the field as they approached, they were just as confused as he was.

"Morgana-" Arthur tried to speak up and ask for clarification, but was barely able to get a word in.

"You are going to spar with him, no arguments! Now go! Good luck Mordred!" She smiled sweetly at Mordred, while fixing Arthur with her best "do as I say or else" glare. Arthur was intimately acquainted with that glare and had no desire to come across the consequences of disobeying it. However, he didn't want his men to know that, ao ignoring the confusion, he squared his shoulders and twirled his sword impressively.

"Well then, Mordred, was it?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"In position! Show me what you know!" At his words, Mordred sprang to action, and their swords collided.

A few moments later, lying panting on the ground, cornered under a victorious, but somehow sheepish, Mordred, Arthur had to agree that Morgana was right about this young man.

"You're looking to be knighted, you said?" He asked as Lancelot rushed over and helped him to his feet.

"Yes, My Lord." Mordred mumbled in response.

"He's the perfect candidate, Arthur!" Morgana exclaimed happily. "A great swordsman, noble character, and he's a druid. With magic!"

Only a few years ago, such a statement would have been an oxymoron and a death sentence. But in this new Camelot, it was just what Arthur was looking for.

"Wonderful. When can you start training?" He asked earnestly.

Mordred beamed, and Morgana smiled, and all was right at that moment. Except for, of course, Merlin's annoyed pout. But Arthur would deal with that later.


	4. The Perils of Romance

_Author's note: I don't do ships or romance really, so this is a bit out of my comfort zone, but this idea kept coming back to me and I had to write it. I hope you enjoy!_

...

Arthur loved his wife. She was the most graceful, beautiful woman he had ever met. He was beyond grateful to have married her and to now call her his queen. However, in the time since their wedding, it seemed that time had gotten away from them. There wasn't time to sit together for dinners, or walk together, or even share a quick conversation. Between his own kingly duties and Guinevere's new duties as queen, it seemed they only saw each other for a few minutes each morning, and again for a few minutes before retiring for the night. Arthur was frankly sick of it. He wanted to simply have a moment with his wife! So he hatched a plan.

It was a foolproof plan, one that would allow him and Guinevere time together with no interruptions. A full day of no one but the two of them. Arthur couldn't wait.

Of course, this meant he was going to make a few people mad. But, of course, sacrifices had to be made for the good of his and Guinevere's marriage. So even if Leon would be furious at him for skipping on his duties for a full day without telling him, and even if Merlin would be angry for him riding off without him and being "unprotected" (a ridiculous notion), it would be worth it. Besides, he was the king, and if he wanted a day off, he should be able to have it! There was no way that this could go wrong.

And so, with his plan fully set, Arthur woke early, packed a basket of food from the kitchens, arranged for one of the few servants yet awake to prepare the horses, and went to wake his wife.

He carefully pried open the curtains, letting the soft morning glow shine on Guinevere's lovely face. He smiled at the sight she made, sleeping peacefully. She had been working so hard lately and he couldn't wait to give her a day just to relax.

"Time to wake up, my love." He whispered softly, kissing her on the forehead and brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

Guinevere's eyes opened a crack, and a soft smile spread on her face. "Good morning." She said, sitting up slowly and kissing him lightly in return.

"Good morning to you as well, my lady." He smiled.

Guinevere looked him over, suddenly realizing he was dressed, and taking notice of the basket on the table.

"Have I forgotten something for today?" She asked, her brow furrowed sleepily in confusion.

"No, but plans have changed."

"Changed? How?" She furrowed her brow further, her eyes becoming more alert and awake.

"Not in a bad way," Arthur replied quickly. "But you will need to get dressed. In something practical. We're going out."

"Out?" She replied with a bemused look. "Out where?"

"It's a surprise." Arthur replied happily. "Now hurry! We need to head down to the stables."

Guinevere laughed but did as he asked and quickly rose to begin getting ready. Before long, the two of them had fetched the horses from the stables and were riding out towards the nearby lake, laughing and talking as if it were old times.

Swept up in the moment, it only felt like a few moments until they arrived, and Arthur quickly went about setting up a picnic lunch for the two of them. Guinevere's smile was radiant through it all, and even in her old servant's garb, she was still just as beautiful to him.

Everything was going perfectly to plan. The sun was shining, the birds chirping, the food was delicious, and the spot was perfect.

So, of course, that was when everything would go wrong.

Suddenly, without warning, a massive shrieking filled the clearing. Guinevere, startled, rose to her feet, knocking things over in her haste. Arthur rose quickly to his feet as well, his hand reaching for his sword.

He felt a chill run through him as his hand met empty air. He'd forgotten his sword. Merlin was going to kill him. If whatever this was didn't do it first, of course.

Before he could contemplate a plan of attack, a large white object barreled into the clearing at a terrifying speed and collided with him head-on, knocking him down to the ground with a thud and pushing the wind out of his lungs. All of this while screaming one word.

"Arthur!" Aithusa screeched loudly, as she seemingly ignored his pain from the collision and began to nuzzle her face into his, much like an excited dog. "Arthur, Arthur!" She kept parroting, seeing as it was one of the only words she had mastered in the common tongue as of yet.

Guinevere let out a loud laugh, sinking to her knees on the blanket next to both Arthur and the overly enthusiastic dragon. The traitor.

"Aithusa darling, what are you doing here?" Guinevere crooned as she happily patted Aithusa's muzzle, causing her to nuzzle Gwen's hands in return, moving somewhat off of Arthur and allowing him to sit up.

"Don't coddle her Guinevere, she's being a nuisance! After the fright she gave you-"

"Don't you mean us?" Guinevere interrupted with a twinkle in her eyes.

"After the fright she gave you," Arthur continued as if he hadn't heard her. "We should send her right back to Camelot to have Merlin deal with her."

"Well, that's probably what we'll have to do anyway." Guinevere said with a fond sigh. "It would seem our overly excited visitor has ruined our outing." She gestured with her hands to the blanket around them, where the carefully packed picnic was now mostly squashed.

Seeming to notice the food for the first time, Aithusa let out a happy trill, jumped off of Arthur, and began munching on a nearby turkey leg.

Arthur let out a sigh. "I suppose you're right. We'd best do it quickly, so the whole day isn't wasted." He scowled at the white dragon, who had the nerve to smile back at him as if she hadn't done a thing wrong.

Guinevere let out a small laugh and stood, helping him to his feet.

...

Arthur's second attempt for a romantic day included visiting a more secluded part of the castle's gardens. Not quite the same as their lovely clearing, but it would hopefully be dragon free now that he had returned Aithusa to Merlin's chambers. Discreetly. While he was still asleep. This was one of the few times Arthur was glad his brother was such a lazy sod, because it meant his plans could still remain a secret even if they weren't away from Camelot.

Finally, alone with Guinevere, sitting under the shade of a large tree, the two of them were back to talking and laughing. It was serene. Maybe not quite the outing he had planned, but any time spent with his wife was time well spent.

She leaned in closer as they spoke, resting her head on his shoulder, a comforting weight, and listening intently as he told her an amusing story from a recent council meeting. All was well.

Until a certain white dragon suddenly fell from the sky, plummeting through the tree branches and to the ground with a terrifying crash.

Guinevere let out a surprised scream of shock. And Arthur let out a manly grunt. Clearly. Not a girly shriek. That sort of thing was reserved for Merlin.

Despite his growing feelings of detest for the dragon at this minute, he would never leave her to suffer, so he rose to his feet quickly, ready to lend aid.

The little brat certainly didn't need it though, simply jumping to her feet as if she hadn't just fallen from a castle window, and gave him a crooked, toothy grin.

"Arthur, Arthur!" She screeched and lumbered forward to him. She still hadn't gotten the hang of walking quite yet, being still so young, so her walk was more of a waddle than anything.

"Aithusa, go. Go back to Merlin. Shoo!" He hissed at her, motioning her away with his hands.

The little dragon ignored him completely and instead jumped at him, attempting to curl her body around his shoulders.

Once upon a time, this was cute. But seeing as she was now the size of a large dog it was quite an impossible process that left Arthur's tunic quite scratched and his neck and back aching as he tried to keep her precariously balanced on his shoulders.

Guinevere, of course, began laughing once again, practically snorting at this point. If his vision hadn't been obscured by a dragon tail, he would have scowled at her.

Unfortunately, at that moment, he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Aithusa! Get down from there!" Merlin commanded, causing Aithusa to let out what could only be described as a whine as she jumped off of his shoulders, much to his relief.

"I'm so sorry Arthur!" Merlin said in a rush, clearly having just tumble out of bed from the appearance of his bird's nest of hair and his sleep clothes. "Are you alright? Her claws didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm fine Merlin." Arthur said with a scowl towards the little scaled menace.

"Uh, not to be nosy, but what are you doing out here this early? Don't you have a council meeting to prepare for?" Merlin asked with a yawn.

"Arthur, you didn't tell me you had things to do today!" Guinevere said accusingly.

Well, there went his peaceful plans.

"I just wanted to spend a day with you, alone, unmolested, unbothered!" Arthur exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air with a huff. "Is it too much to ask for me to have one day with my wife?"

Guinevere smiled indulgently at him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. And Merlin, like the girl he was, had a dopey sort of look on his face. It was, frankly, disgusting.

"That's sweet of you." Guinevere said. "But you can't just avoid your duties."

"No, no, I think it's a great idea. I'll take care of it! You two deserve a little time to yourselves." Merlin said excitedly. "You two enjoy yourselves, and I'll set up a magical barrier so people don't bother you, and I can cover for you and make sure no one comes to fetch either of you. Including Aithusa here." He added with a smirk.

Aithusa simply trilled happily at the mention of her name.

"Are you sure Merlin? We wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Guinevere said.

"No, it's fine Gwen! Really!" Merlin replied with one of his trademark goofy grins. "I can't think of anyone who deserves a day to relax more than the both of you. Go on, enjoy!" And with that, he whispered a soft word. As he spoke, golden tendrils of magic came from his hand, creating a golden glow around the two of them.

"That should keep people out for a while." He said, looking smug at his handiwork.

"Thank you, Merlin." Guinevere said as she elbowed Arthur in the side.

"Yes, thank you, Merlin." Arthur said reluctantly to avoid another unpleasant elbow to the gut.

And with that, Merlin laughed and hurried away, leaving the two of them alone under the tree.

...

"-and then, Gwaine, of course, said he'd do nothing of the sort, and you should have seen Leon's face!" Arthur laughed happily, weaving a tale of a recent escapade of his knights to Guinevere, who sat curled up by his side under the tree's comforting shade.

Guinevere let out a merry laugh, before stiffening in shock as her stomach let out a loud rumble, causing them both to begin laughing again.

"I believe it might be time for lunch?" Arthur said with a teasing smile.

"Yes, quite." Guinevere smiled. "But seeing as our lunch was quite destroyed by Aithusa, we may just have to call it a day and head to the kitchens."

"Nonsense! Where's your sense of adventure, Guinevere?" He pulled her to her feet with a flourish, causing her to giggle. "We'll simply have to exercise stealth, agility, and speed."

"Oh," Guinevere said, her eyes lighting up. "So it's a secret mission then?" She smirked.

"Of course, a mission to reach the palace kitchens undetected. Lucky for you, you are married to the master of stealth." He joked.

"Why yes, how silly of me to forget." She responded in mock seriousness, matching his joking tone. "You'll have to teach me your ways in order for this mission to be a success."

Laughing, the two of them rushed away to the kitchens, hand-in-hand, not noticing the shimmering gold that dissipated behind them as they ran.

...

It was a happy, smiling couple that returned to the gardens with a smuggled basket of goods held between them.

"A successful mission indeed, don't you think?" Arthur joked.

"Quite certainly, I- Oh no!" Guinevere began to speak before coming to a halt suddenly with a cry. "The bubble Merlin made! It's gone!" She turned sadly to him. "I suppose the day is finished after all."

Well, that wouldn't do.

"No, we'll find somewhere." Arthur replied determinedly.

"Such as?" Guinevere asked with a quirk of her eyebrows.

"The parapets?" He suggested weakly.

"I think it will do." She replied with a light smile, and a quick kiss to his cheek. "At the least, it should give us enough time to eat lunch."

...

The parapets were a disaster. Not only was it cold and windy, making the picnic almost impossible as food kept flying out of their hands and caused Guinevere to shiver fiercely, it was also completely exposed to the sky. Something that Arthur wouldn't normally worry about except for-

"Arthur, Arthur!"

It was Aithusa. Again. The menace.

"Oh, Aithusa, shoo!" Guinevere said exasperatedly. It seemed even she had tired of the great lizard's antics.

But Aithusa, unaware that she was unwanted, continued careening towards them. Quite fast actually. Maybe too fast.

Suddenly, Aithusa collided with Arthur, bumping him off the edge of the tower before he could even let out a sound. Guinevere let out a screech, rushing to the side of the tower and staring over in shock and horror.

Thankfully, for all her clumsiness on the ground, Aithusa was a wonder in the air. She quickly caught Arthur on her back by swooping down underneath him and flew him gracefully back to the top of the tower to the awaiting Guinevere. She then promptly landed, ending her gracefulness, and dumped him unceremoniously onto the ground where he lay on his back, scowling at the sky.

As Guinevere's relieved face came into view, he hardened his expression. They were going to enjoy this day if it killed him. And at this rate, it might.

"Arthur, maybe we should-"

"No. We're going to find somewhere else."

...

And thus began the search for a moment of peace.

They tried the armory first, hoping to catch a few moments of peace in one of the back, often unused, rooms. However, Aithusa found them there as well, rushing in through an open window and causing a great amount of clashing and clanging as she knocked numerous pieces of armor on the ground, causing Arthur and Guinevere to have to run out the back door to avoid being spotted by any of the knights.

Next was one of the alcoves in the back of the castle. Of course, this was much riskier, as guards often patrolled the halls. But Arthur was convinced they could hide quietly behind one of the tapestries. That was until the lizard came along sniffing the ground for them like one of Arthur's prized hunting hounds. And, of course, once she found them, she wouldn't stop squawking.

Then they tried to hide in the less busy areas of the lower town, hiding discretely behind some unused stalls, but Aithusa found them there as well. This time, Arthur grabbed Guinevere's hand and tried to outrun her before she could find them. However, this backfired, as Aithusa still caught sight of them and lumbered through the stalls, squashing a number of shocked merchant's goods. This ended with Arthur's pockets considerably lighter as he handed over coin after coin to upset merchants to repay for the damages their wares.

Suddenly, before he knew it, it was night, and the sun had finally set behind the trees. By then, Arthur knew he had to accept defeat, and both he and Guinevere returned to their chambers and fell backward onto their bed silently.

They lay quietly on the covers, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before they both turned and caught each other's unreadable gaze. As Guinevere caught his eyes, she suddenly cracked a smile and begun giggling. Arthur's scowl broke, and his lips quirked up, and before long they were both laughing so hard their sides ached and their eyes filled with tears. They laughed and laughed, only stopping when the need for air became apparent.

As Guinevere's giggles died down, Arthur smiled at her.

"Well, today certainly didn't go as planned. I'm sorry, Guinevere."

"Oh hush. It was certainly an... interesting day. But I did get to spend it with you, so I think it's alright." He blushed as she reached out to shyly grab his hand in hers. "Besides, there's always another day. We can have a romantic outing, more planned out this time, and have Merlin babysit Aithusa so she doesn't bother us."

Arthur huffed, and opened his mouth to respond, before he heard the telltale scratch of claws on their bedroom door, and the soft squawking.

Arthur groaned, and grabbed the nearest pillow, shoving it over his face.

Guinevere simply giggled and rose to open the door, letting a yawning Aithusa inside.

Guinevere laid back down onto the bed, followed by Aithusa who also decided she wanted to join them. She lay down heavily between the two of them, causing the bed to groan under her weight.

"Arthur." She said with a content sigh, before curling up with her tail under her, and laying her head lightly on Arthur's chest and falling asleep.

"You have to admit, it is precious how fond she is of you." He heard Guinevere's soft voice say.

Arthur slowly lowered the pillow, gazing at his smiling wife, and the dragon on his chest.

"I suppose she isn't completely unbearable..." He mumbled.

"Admit it, you love her." She teased.

"I'll deny it until death." He said seriously, but his traitorous hand moved of its own accord to fondly pet the young dragon's head.

Guinevere simply gave him a sweet and fond smile, placed a sweet kiss to his lips, and moved to curl up against him and Aithusa both.

When Merlin finally noticed Aithusa was missing and went to look for her, he found her happily curled up between the two sleeping royals, a smile on all of their faces. He gave a smile of his own at the sight and softly move to shut the door and leave them undisturbed until morning.


End file.
